Discussed (final revised paper)

Discussed (discussion paper)

Black carbon (BC) aerosols have been conventionally assumed to be the only light-absorbing carbonaceous particles that absorb visible light in the atmosphere. Here we report that, contrary to the conventional belief, tar balls (a specific type of organic aerosol particles from biomass burning) do absorb visible light more than previously thought. Our results support previous findings that tar balls play an important role in global warming.

Black carbon (BC) aerosols have been conventionally assumed to be the only light-absorbing...